Attorney General John M. Formella, New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall, Brattleboro, Vermont Police Chief Norma Hardy, and the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit announce that investigators have identified a previously unidentified female discovered in Marlborough, New Hampshire, in 1974. With forensic testing and assistance from the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory, NamUs, Bode Technology and the University of North Texas Health Science Center, investigators have now identified this young woman as Nancy Gale Erickson (21) of Tampa, Florida and Brattleboro, Vermont.
“After years of work on this case, putting a name to Nancy Gale Erickson is incredibly meaningful. It’s more than solving a mystery — it’s restoring her identity and honoring the life she lived. She was never forgotten,” said New Hampshire State Police Detective Sergeant Kelly LaPointe. “We’re deeply grateful to everyone whose efforts made this possible. Now the focus turns to understanding how and why she died.”
On April 16, 1974, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in a wooded area off Route 124 in Marlborough, New Hampshire. Forensic analysis indicated she had died in late fall 1973. Investigators determined she was a white female, aged 18–48, between 5’2″ and 5’6″, with reddish-brown hair. She wore a light brown corduroy coat with white fleece lining (size 44, Matt Andrews Sportswear), a blue-gray zippered warm-up jacket, a blue, white, and red plaid flannel shirt (size M, Royal Coach), off-white Carter work trousers, brown low-cut work shoes (size 6 or 7), mismatched socks, and Duofold insulated underwear with a blue and green floral print (sizes B and 18). No identification was found, and the cause and manner of death remain undetermined. Her identity remained a mystery for nearly 50 years…